Regardless of what happens on Tuesday—or maybe even Monday—can anybody ever accuse Manmohan Singh of being “India’s weakest PM since independence” again, as L.K. Advani so effortlessly did eight months ago?

The prime minister earned the epithet from the prime minister-in-waiting last October after he told a Hindustan Times conclave that his was not a “one-issue government” and that non-implementation of the nuclear deal was not the “end of life”.

Advani charged Singh of an “extraordinary combination of ineptitude, arrogance, immaturity and lack of conviction” for heeding to Left pressure and making what, at that time, seemed like a U-turn on the serpentine nuclear road.

Advani’s certification was, of course, only incidental.

Since Singh doesn’t thump his chest like you-know-who, flare up his nostrils like you-know-who or wag his finger like you-know-who, BJP spokesmen have merrily used the “weakest PM” tag to needle and deride the soft-spoken sardar.

(It took the controversy raised by Advani’s claims in his memoirs over the IC-814 hijack to Kandahar for a Congress spokesman to briefly return the favour this March calling him “the weakest home minister India has ever had”.)

But how odd the label now seems in the context of all that’s happening.

The “weakest PM” has taken the Left bull by the horns leading to their withdrawal of support. The “weakest PM” has continued on the lonely nuclear road. The “weakest PM” has thirsted and sought a floor test of his government.

In truth, the seeming volte face on the nuclear deal was only a pretext to slap the “weakest PM” tag on Manmohan. Ever since he took over as prime minister, Advani and gang have liked to believe that the technocrat-politician did not have his own mind.

If he didn’t give interviews or thundering speeches, it was said that it was because he didn’t want to overshadow the presiding deity of 10, Janpath. If he didn’t take on his challengers and interlopers, it was because he didn’t want to upset the puppeteers.

If he didn’t slap his thighs at each terror attack, if he didn’t twirl his moustache at the opposition in Parliament, if he didn’t hang Afzal Guru or glare at Pervez Musharraf, it was all seen to be a sign of “weakness”.

And on and on, the insinuations went.

How odd, therefore, that the “weakest PM” now has Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi publicly sticking their neck out and backing him. How odd that the “weakest PM” should have sent Prakash Karat scurrying into the open arms of Mayawati. How odd that the “weakest PM” should boldly meeting corporate chiefs in his office.

God knows how this nuclear kerfuffle will all end, and where it will leave the government, the country, the Congress, the Left.

We can ask if this was the only issue on which the prime minister could have rediscovered his strength. We can ask if this was the only time he could have rediscovered his strength.

Maybe, as Saubhik Chakrabarti wrote in The Indian Express, Manmohan’s “opportunity cost for forcing a change” is lower. But, by god, can anybody accuse the prime minister of not having the courage of his conviction on the biggest issue of our times?

Whether or not he wins the trust vote on Tuesday, whether or not the nuclear deal goes through, somebody somewhere will still be inserting “India’s weakest PM since independence” into his wikipedia entry.

But that’s perception, what about the reality—if not on Tuesday, two decades from now; if not at home, across the world?

26 comments

Nothing has changed. MMS is the weakest PM we have ever had, and I hope, will ever have. No such courage is to be seen on any number of initiatives that have been choked off by a corrupt gaggle of allies. The Congress has no iota of principle or spine. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

This cabinet is better than Vajpayee’s. This one has Pranab Mukerjee, Shivraj Patil, AK Anthony – all better than their counterparts in ABV’s team. I however think Yashwant Sinha is more responsible and less cunning that Chidambaram. Jagmohan was great but he frequently had his decisions reversed by the PM.

Having said that, I should admit that DMK extracted a lot of benefits for Tamil Nadu at the expense of others. We from other states have reason to feel cheated on this.

Congress has always given stepmotherly treatement to Karnataka. Karnataka had been giving support to Congress, however the ministerial posts and fund flow has been worst during its regime.

The ministers Pranab Mukherjee,Shivraj Patil and AK Antony do not hail from Karnataka either to make it a good combination for the state of Karnataka.

One PM who hailed from Karnataka has not done much either. He turned out to be a Caste Baron for a particular community within the state. The number of MLA’s and MP’s which he commands speaks volumes about of his stature within the state itself. He has been a PM by fluke and his son was a CM by fluke. We does not have an inclusive agenda for the state of Karnataka.

Now BJP has got a Golden chance to prove it’s mettle. The funds are likely to flow only when they State BJP translates to Central BJP GOVT.

I need to state that there is too much of factionalism in the state politics. State interests are not paramount but family interests are paramount to all politicians from the state. All parties are working like Private limited companies. Amassing illegal wealth and proclaiming that they are the saviours of the state.

The test of a prime minister’s statesmanship, not “strength,” is how committed he is to implementing the programme his party sold in order to be elected.

Singh’s dicision to dispense with his canine dependence on the left, having Sonia and an obviously uninformed Rahul Gandhi on his side, barely show that he has foresight or courage.

Add to all this the fact that Devegowda is claiming that Singh is personally in touch with him about the two measly support votes the Karnataka politician can bring him. If Gowda’s claim is truthful, we have a prime minister who is willing to cut a deal with anyone, which barely adds to his dignity as a leader.

Perhaps “a strong” prime minister would have taken the whole country into confidence, coming clean with all the details of the nuclear pact with the U. S. As someone who has had to rely solely on tidbits from the odd assortment of what pass for news outlets, I am not sure the-behind-the scenes agreement keeps our country from becoming a vassal state to nations which needed no one’s blessings to handle their own nuclear plans. Now we genuflect to an international commision on nuclear energy which is a wholly controlled subsidiary of the U. S.

As a reader in the Prajavani asked, when it is clear that there is no guarantee that nuclear power sources are safe and the U. S. has steadily decreasing the number of nuclear establishments on its own soil, why in the name of Rama, Raheem, and Yesu, are we in a desperate hurry to mortgage national security as well as public safety in return for few morsels stale aid? Why isn’t India a member of the Security Council?

Yes, the country also want to spend 1.5 billion dollars to build ten more IITs to feed the hunger for our technocrat coolies in the west.

Globalisation’s agenda was to erase national borders in trade so that West could continue to maintain its standard of living at the expense of countries like ours. The agenda now has progressed to requiring the third world nations–yes, that is what we are– to abandon the concept of sovereignty by degrees. See the example of Pakistan. Loss of autonomy is the price it has to pay for letting the U. S. control its foreign policy.

Ultimately, there is not much difference between the Savarkar santhathi and the putative descendants of M. K. Gandhi.

On a slightly slightly different topic ,How come none of our famous astrologers are willing to predict the winner of the closest of contests one will see after Independence that too on a single issue, on on July 22, 08? Where are the Daruvalas and the rest of the gang…?

Wonderful, A K ANthony the Defence Minister who fainted when receing a guard of honour. He was in charge of Karnataka affairs…Yes in any governemnt there will be inisters who will be sloghtly better than others. Congress is congress. If we were to believe the latest news even an MP from a three-member Pasrty may become a minister, and next he will be tne best mnister. In Karnatraka we had Vatal Paksha the one man party. Now it is projected that whoever opposes the Nuke-deal will be a traitor and jehad should be followed. Jai Bjarathmaatha, Jai Congress!

As they say, courage is not just in standing and talking, but also in sitting and listening. It is also in acting in the right way at the right time, regardless of how it is construed at that point of time. I would say ABV was “weak-in-the-knees” and nobody can dispute that at any point of time.

Are we talking only of comparison of prime ministers who were able to complete (almost) the whole term? Are Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, Chandrashekar, I.K. Gujral and Deve Gowda not considered in this comparison? Was their stint too short to qualify for this weakest or strongest title?

Please help clear up some confusion here. There was a Shivaraj Patil from Karnataka who was a justice of the Supreme Court of India. Then there was a Shivaraj Patil, a minister. The two are in-laws now?

Gokulam–

Exactly how many of our compatriots have an idea why the Singh government is facing the crisis it is? “Taking the country into confidence” at best is a metaphor for the people’s right to know.

Yes he is still no real PM of India.
Prime Minister of India should be elected,who represent wish of Indian citizens.
He is appointed PM of India,he have not fight any MP election,how can you say people of India voted for him?As he have behave on the matter of N-deal,we can say he is most Un-Democratic PM of India.He have not taken in confidence the Parliament of India and Proceed to IAEA and submite the approval of India!
How they get majority in house every body seen it,how they will face the election with white color?
People asking “What is in the deal for Mr.Manmohan Singh so they ready to face confidence motion?”It is not the “Today,Never Tomorrow”,Mr.Obama is also said in a Interview that he will proceed this deal without any changes because we have discussed all the points of this deal in Congress”.Have Indian PM discussed all the point of this deal in Indian Parliament?No,even he wants to keep in secret!
He can appoint any Minister or through out any,as he wish?Any action he can take against his Cabinet?No..NO…NO…NO….then how can he is Powerful PM?Just for forward to make the deal?
-M.S.Bohra